Dividing mechanism for gear-cutting machines



2 'sheets-sheet 1.

(No Modell.)

o. SPAULDING. DIVIDING MECHANISM FOR- GEAR CUTTING' MACHINES.

Patntad Jan. '24

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(No Moae.) 2 sheeppsheet 2) C. SPAULDING. DIVIDING MBGIHANISM vFOR GEARCUTTING MACHINES.

No. 376,833.` Patented Jam. 2.4, v1888',

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5 VVC/595.5557

N, PETERS, PhulLllhogrlplusr. Washnglon. D. Q

' in Which- UNITED STATES PATENT g'O1-irren..

. I Y w ACHARLES ,SPAULDINQ OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

D'Ivio'lNG MECHANISM Foa GEAR-CUTTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,833, dated January24, 18878.

. Application filed May 2, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.- v

Be it known that I, CHARLES SPAULDING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Malden, in the county of vMiddlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in DividingMechanisms for Gear-Cutting Machines, of which Athe following is aspecification. j

My invention relates tothat class of dividing-machines whichfare used inconnectionk with machines for cutting gears for the purpose of dividingup the blanks into the several divisions required for the variousnumbers of teeth; and .the objects of my invention are, first, toproduce any desired division on the periphery of the blank with exactlythe same movementof hand or power, which not only simplifies the workingof the machine, but also prevents the liabilities of mistakes fromplacing the pin in the wrong hole on the index-plate each time the'blankis moved, and, second, in automatic gear cutting machines to save thecost of the large number of change-gears requiredand used for dividingthe blanks and the time required for removing the said change-gears andreplacing them by others each time a gear-blank requiring a differentnumber of teeth is placed upon a machine. I attain these objects vby themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a sideview of my invention adapted to an ordinarygearcutting machine...

Fig. 2 is a front view of same. Fig. Sisasection on line/xm of Fig. 2.Figs. 4 and 5 are. diagrams illustrating the theory of my invention.Fig. 6 is a det-ail drawn in perspective, showing automatic way ofmovingindex-plate. A, Figs. 1 and 3, Ais a standard for supporting shaftor spindle B, upon which the blank C is placed.

D represents the position of the cutter (in dotted lines) with referenceto the blank C. Upon the other end ofthe spindle B is placed theindex-plate` E, the said plate being fastened by the set-screw b to thespindle B. It isobvious that by turning the index-plate E the'blank Cwill be also turned an equaliangle. F, Figs. l and 2,-is a sliding platesupported and guided bythe uprights G G. This sliding plate has a slot,f, extending vertically from near the center ofthe index-plate to the 1Projecting from the center ofthe index-plate -y y is the spindle b, Fig.3, which is used for guidv ing the movement of the slotted arm J. Thisarm J isslotted to allow the pin K tobe placed at any distance'requiredfrom the center of the index-plate. The pin K,being provided at one endwith the thumb-nut lc, can be clamped firmly to the arm J, so that anymovement given to the pin K will be given also to the arm J, which mayor'may not be provided with a scale marked thereon for the purpose ofsetting the pin K at any. required distance from the center. Theopposite end of the pin K is turned down to a smaller diameter't'o tholes m m of the index-plate. y The largest part f of this pin K'accurately lits the slot f. Nowv if the slidingrplate F is moved acertaindistance each time a groove is to be out in the blank, the samemovement will be communicated to the index-plate by the pin K, and alsoto the slotted arm J. The pin K, being fastened to the slotted arm J,will be moved in the arc of a circle by tlierectilinearv movement of thesliding plateV F. The pin K is moved into and out of the holes in theindex-plate bymoving the arm'J laterally by'means of the rockshaft I,lever I, and handle I', Figs. 1 and 2., rI he distance betweensuccessive holes in the index-plate corresponds exactly with thedistance which the sliding plate F moves. The larger the diameter of thecircle in which these y `holes are made the greater numberaof holesslipped along Athe slot to the required circle of holes-when it istightened and allowed to snap TOO back into the hole in the index-'platebythe tension of the springj between the arm J and the nut Z. When thepin is inthe right circle of holes,the handles are again clasped,movingout the pin, as before, so as not to disturb the index-plate, which isheld by the friction of its spindle B in the bearing A. The sliding armFis then moved in the direction indicated by the arrow against thetension of the spring n, Fig. 2, until prevented from further movementby the screw f. rIhe handle I is then released7 allowing the pin K tosnap into the nextholeoftheindex-plate. Theslidingplate F is then movedback into its original position by hand or by the heavy spring n, whichpresses against the pin a. This moves the pin K the same distance, andconsequently the index plate E the required distance. The blankv is thencut, and when ready to be turned to the position required for the nextgroove the operation of moving the index is gone through with as before,and is continued until the index has made one revolution, when the teethon the gear will be entirely formed. In automatic machines the movingout of the pin K and the sliding of the plate F could be doneautomatically by cams, as shown in Fig. 6, when the shaft O would begiven one complete revolution each time the dial-plate was to be moved.Any well known device operated either from a separate belt or from anymoving part of the machine can be used. This device would entirelydispense with the changegears commonly used on automatic machines fordividing up the blank into the various numbers of equal divisions forcutting gears containing different numbers of teeth. The only operationrequired would be, after the blank vhas been put in position to be cut,to loosen the thumb-nut and slide the pin K along the slot until itentered the circle of holes corresponding with' the number of teeth tobe cut in the gear. rlhe vmachine then would be started, and after eachgroove was cut the indexplate would be moved automatically one divisionat a time until a complete revolution had been made, when, as inordinary machines, after the gear has been cut, the entire mechanismwould stop.

Referring now to the diagram, Fig. 4, let a represent the center of theindex-plate, and let b be the hole in which the pin K is placed. Nowmove the index-plate by the pin K tillit reaches the point c, and drawradial lines from a through b and c. This will show the angle throughwhich the index plate, and consequently the gear-blank, moves when thepin K is placed at a distance, a b, from the center of indexplate. Nowslide the pin along the slot until it enters the hole d and moveindexplate, as before, the same distance, d e, equal to b c. Drawingradial lines, as before, through d and e from a shows also the anglethrough which the index moves when placed at distance a d from thecenter, and thesamethrough fg. Now in layingolf the circles of holes onthe index-plate the following is the method of one-half of which isthree degrees, and onehalf the movement is oneeighth inch, or .125.

fr henh '125 25 the l 3h13" .05234 2.3882 radius of the circle havingsixty holes with a distance of one-quarter inch between each.

As the difierenee between the concentric circles on the dial-platc onwhich the holes are laid out for successive numbers of teeth measuresonly about .0l inch, with this movement (lf) it is necessary to haveseveral indexplates, taking, say, every fourth number, as 20, 24, 28,32, and so on, allowing more distance between the series of holes, andthus providing space for a larger pin which moves the indexplate.

It will be seen that the slide F and pin K are capable of conjointactionin rotating the index-wheel step by step; hence I do not limitmyself to the use of the particular devices herein described formovingthe pin K toward and from the index-wheel to engage it with anddisengage it from said wheel, nor to any devices for this purpose, assaid movements may be effected by hand. It is quite obvious, however,that it is desirable to provide some reliable means for effecting thedescribed movements of the pin, andthe devices herein described are asconvenient and suitable as any of which I am at present aware.

I claim- 1. The combination ofa rotary shaft adapted to hold a blank, anindex-wheel attached to said shaft and having concentric rows of holes,each row having a diierent number of holes from the others, while theholes in' all the rows are at uniform distances apart, anoperating-slide which is adapted'to be reciprocated across the face ofthe index-wheel a distance equal to the distance from hole to hole inany row of holes in the index-wheel, and provided with a slot extendingradially of the index-wheel, acrossall the rows of holes therein, andalatch or pin passing through said slot and adapted to be engaged withany hole in the index-wheel coincident with the slot, said slide and pinoperating conjointly to give the index-wheel and the blank-holding shaftstep-bystep rotations, the extent of which is governed by the distanceof the pin or latch from the axis of the index-wheel, as set forth.

2. The combination of a rotary blank-holding shaft, an index-wheelattached thereto and having concentric rows of holes, all the holesbeing spaced alike, while each row has a different number of holes, anoperating-slide adapted to have a reciprocating motion, which islimited, as described, across the face of the sixty; the anglebetweeneach tooth is index-Wheel andprovided with a slot extending across allthe rows of holes in the indexwheel, a latch or pin passing through saidslot and adapted to be 'moved therein from one row of holes in theindeX-wheelto another, and devices whereby said pin may be alternately`moved from and toward the index- `wheel to disengage it from andengageit with holes in said Wheel, as set forth.

3. rIhe combination of the blank-holding shaft, the index-wheel thereonhaving the-concentric rows of holes, the operating-slide F, having aslot, f, and'provided with devices to limit its reciprocating movements,thelatch or pin K, adapted to slidein said slot toward and from. theindex-wheel and from row to row of holes therein, the slotted arm J,Aadapted both to oscillate and slide on a stud'in line with the axialcenter of the index-wheel, and engaged, as described, vwith the latch orpin K, and the rock-shaft l, having the arm I engaged with said arm J,wherebysaid arm and the latch or pin may be moved toward and from theindex-wheel, as set forth.

4. The combination of the blank-holding' shaft, the index-wheel thereonhaving the concentric'rows of holes, ythe operating-slide F, having theslot f and provided with devices to limit its reciprocatingmovements,thelatchv or pin K, adapted. to move, as described, in

said slot, the slottedarm J, adapted both to vset forth.

,slide may be moved in the opposite direction,

whereby the latter maybe moved against'the pressnreof the spring j toremove the pin K from the index-wheel, as set forth. e 4o '5. Thecombination of the blank-'holding l shaft, the index-Wheel having holesarranged as described, the latch or pin K, the operatingl slideF,'having the slot f, receiving said pin,

as G', cooperating with said stops f f2, asV

-' 6. The combinationrof the blank-holding shaft, the index-wheel havingholes, arranged A as described, the latch or pin K, the operat- 5oing-slide, F, having the slot f, receiving said pin, the adjustablestops f f on said slide, the spring n, arranged to move said slide', inone direction, and a handle, H, whereby" the l55 as set forth. e A f 7.The combination of the blank-holding shaft, the index-wheel havingholes, arranged as described, the latch or pin K,the operating-slide F,having the slot f, receiving said 6o pin/and the handle II, theystopsf'f2 on said slide, the fixed stop G', the slotted arm J, A,adapted both to oscillate `andY slide, the spring j, arranged to holdthe arm Jin its normal position, and the krock-shaft I, having the arm Iengaged Witlithe arm J, and the handle I', arranged in close proXimitytothe handle H, whereby both handles may be grasped 'simul-I taneously, asset forth.

vCHARLES sPAULDING;

' Witnesses:v f

THOMAS W. HOBDAY, CHARLES E. Moss. Y

the stopsff2 on said slide, and a fixed stop, 45 'l

